Top Tips for First-Time Trade Show Exhibitors

Having attended as well as exhibited at multiple trade shows over the years, we have seen what works and what doesn't when it comes to running a successful expo stand. If you are a first time exhibitor and you're feeling nervous about your first show, don't! Here is our Mpowering Guide to Successful Trade Show Exhibiting, with all the trade show exhibitor tips and first-hand knowledge you'll need to have a successful event (hint: you don't need a massive budget for a successful outcome!).

Right: our founder Michele Li-Fay at the B2B Expo in Reading in 2025, with her stall essentials, ready to go!

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What to bring for your exhibition stand

It can depend on the size and space you have for the trade show, but there are also some universal must-brings for every exhibition, no matter how big or some.

For all trade shows

• Flyers: low-tech, old-school, but definitely one of the best promotional materials. People love to take things from stands, and this is a low-cost way to ensure your brand stays top of mind when attendees return home and review the businesses they've seen at the trade show.

• Business cards: another old-school but super effective item you must have. Yes, there are fancy QR versions now, but what if the venue has terrible signal? (We're looking at your, London Excel) More often than not, the best way to network is to exchange business cards, so make sure you have plenty; you'll be amazed how many people take them on the day! It's also a great way to introduce yourself to your fellow exhibitors and booth neighbours, which helps to build support and camaraderie, especially on long expo days.

• Pen and Paper: again, an oldie but a goodie! We live in the age of smart phones, tablets and other fancy gadgets, but we cannot stress the importance of pen and paper. You will get visitors of all types and ages, some of whom may not be familiar or comfortable with technology and prefer to write things down. Or equally, sometimes you just want to make a quick note on the back of someone's business card that you've just met. Always have a pen to hand, and make sure nobody takes it away from you! You will be surprised at how many people need a pen at exhibitions, so they are surprisingly desirable items!

• Sustenance: we always bring a small bowl with wrapped candies and sweets for 2 reasons: A) it's a really great ice-breaker, and most attendees can't help themselves and will say hi just to get their hands on a Mini Twix, and B) you might need it on long trade show days just for a small sugar boost. Just remember not to scoff them all!

• Power bank: depending on your exhibition strategy, you may end up using your phone a lot, especially if you are using your phone to scan attendee badges to capture leads. Always bring a fully charged power bank to keep your electronics going, so you don't miss out on any potential leads or clients.

Small trade show booths

Some smaller expos will provide a table or a small booth such as a 1m x 1m space. This means there is limited space, so you will not need elaborate branding or displays. However, you must invest in a roller banner. All your competitors will have at least one, so if you don't have one, your space will look bare, and you risk looking amateurish and unprofessional. Roller banners are essentially your backdrop for these events: they immediately raise brand awareness by displaying your business name and highlighting your key services.

Vistaprint do roller banners for a relatively good price, but we got ours at Southside Print, and would highly recommend for any business owners living in Southwark and nearby.

In addition, if the event is providing a table, check if a table cloth is included. Most of the time it is, but it's worth checking, because this means you can hide your boxes, cases and other storage items under the table without them being exposed to attendees, making your space look neat and tidy. If you have extra budget, you can also invest in a table runner, to add more branding to immediately capture the attention of visitors.

Large trade show booths

For large shows such as those at the London Excel or other large exhibition spaces, you will likely get a panelled space such as ours which was 3m x 3m. Don't feel daunted by the space, but also don't feel the need to stuff it with items to fill it up! From our experience, you only need 3 things:

• Wall panels: these are the main booth design element for your stand. They may feel costly, but if you've taken out a 3x3 space, you've already invested a handsome sum into the exhibition, so you should pay up to ensure your initial investment isn't wasted. We've seen exhibitors try to cheap out and use roller banners instead, but their stall immediately looks unorganised and unprofessional, which can turn visitors away and you end up losing potential clients without saying a single word.
  
  When it comes to the design of your wall panels, it can be tempting to overwhelm them with copious amounts of information regarding your products or services. But it's important that your panels invite people in, rather than scare visitors away with information overwhelm. The goal is to pique the interest of your target audience, so they ask you for more information, so sometimes it's best to lead with your key headlines and keep the finer details in your pocket so visitors have to engage with you to find out more.

  Our wall panels were from Go Display, who provide great quality at a good price.

• Furniture: it can be tempting to hire lots of furniture to fill your space, but we've found that for a 3x3 space, all you need are 2 chairs and a small coffee table equivalent. If your stall is too cluttered, your stand doesn't seem inviting, and people feel boxed out and will therefore not approach you. If you provide space, it feels less claustrophobic, which sends a psychological message to visitors that you are welcoming and open to their questions.

• Storage: this partly comes under furniture, but make sure you have a lockable unit that doubles up as a display stand. This allows you to stow your belongings away safely, especially if you have to nip off the stand to grab a bite or head to the bathroom.

Nice-To-Haves but not Trade Show Essentials

From our own experience, if you bring the above, you are set and ready to exhibit! However, we also have a list of additional nice-to-haves. They are not essentials, but we have found them to be super helpful when exhibiting.

• Water Bottle: you will be speaking to lots of people throughout the day (or days, depending on the duration of the event), so make sure you have water to stay hydrated.

• Portfolio: whether it's on a tablet or hard copies, bring examples of your work to show off your expertise to potential clients. If visitors like your work, they may even sign up on the spot, allowing you to take orders on the day!

• Scanners: some events will offer you the opportunity to pay for a scanner (we know, the audacity to have to pay for this!) or a scanner app to capture leads. If you are exhibiting at a smaller trade show, you may be able to get away with it by just taking photos of people's badges, especially if the trade show shares attendee information with you afterwards (check with your event organiser, as not every trade show does this). Alternatively, this is where pen and paper can come in handy as well. But at big shows, it is worth investing in the scanner, because it really is a quick and simple way to capture leads so you can easily follow up afterwards.

• BRB Sign: we bring our Be Right Back sign to every event, because we often only have 1 person exhibiting at a time. We display a QR code for our WhatsApp on the sign, so if we have to leave the stand for 5 minutes, we stick the sign on the stand so we let visitors know that we'll be right back! The QR code allows people to message us if they urgently want to see us, so we don't miss a lead.

Overrated marketing strategies at trade shows

Controversial, we know. But there are so many event experts out there who advise making your stand unique or that you should invest your hard-earned money in lots of marketing materials. We break down some of the most overrated marketing strategies we've seen at trade shows, and why going back to basics is the best solution.

Promotional giveaways

We've been there: when you're unpacking your stand items, other exhibitors takes out lots of freebies and giveaways, from totes to bags to stress balls. We've even seen a stand give away lemons (because their business name was related to lemons). Yes, it seems fun and quirky, but we're here to tell you that most of the time, these items fall in the wrong hands that don't turn into investments. That's because trade shows are often attended by what we call swag swoopers. They are people who attend big events just to take hit as many stalls as possible to sweep as many freebies as possible. Why? We don't really know. We're not sure what 8 stress balls and 2 fridge magnets will do for them. But swag swoopers exist. So chances are, if you're investing in free giveaway items, they will end up in the hands of swag swoopers, and you won't get true return for your investment.

Instead, use old-school marketing materials such as flyers and leaflets. They are much cheaper to produce in bulk, and if anything, you can fit more information about your business on them, making them much more valuable for visitors. The novelty of the stress ball will wear off; the information on your leaflet will endure.

Interactive games

It's one thing if your service or product requires live demonstrations to show their use cases; it's another if you are just putting a mini golf hole or an interactive game to attract visitors. More often than not, attendees who need something are focused on finding the right solution to their problems, not for random audience participation. It may seem like a fun addition to the stand, but the reality is we've seen more exhibitors playing the games to kill time than actual visitors. And if the exhibitors are playing, it can put attendees off from approaching and speaking to them. And then there goes your potential client!

If you have an unlimited marketing budget, then great! Invest in the novelty. But we're guessing that for most small business owners, you don't have an endless budget, so invest in the essentials. If anything, the quiet confidence of bare basics will show you are there for serious business, not casual gimmicks.

The Jump-On-Everyone Approach

This one could be controversial. Many experts say you should approach every visitors to your stand, because every lead counts. And we don't disagree with that. But sometimes there are visitors who are anxious or unsure, and even attendees who have 0 intention on serious business; they are just there to pass time. With the former, you don't want to scare them off with your intensity, and with the later, you don't want to end up being locked in a time-wasting conversation that leads nowhere (trust us, we've been there).

Instead, we advocate passive engagement. Make eye contact, flash a smile, and read their response and body language. If they smile back, or even take a step forwards, then engage and speak to them. If they scurry away or avoid eye contact, don't bother; they're probably not worth your valuable time anyway.

5 Key Tips to a Successful Event

Every exhibitor has their success stories and failures, and we certainly have had ours. But if you are a small business owner, tackling the scary world of trade shows for the first time, we leave you with our 5 Mpowering Tips that have worked for us, and we hope work for you!

1. Choose the right trade show: know your target audience, and if they will be there. If you're a tech brand, there's no point showing at a baby show (unless it is baby tech!). Do your research based on audience, not on size, location or footfall. This will guarantee you are getting your business in front of the right people.

2. Invest in the basics: forgo the fancy add-ons, especially if you have a limited budget. There is something comforting and familiar with old-school marketing materials, so don't worry if you only have flyers and business cards. More often than not, that's what people want anyway.

3. Invest in booth design: the one area you shouldn't skimp out on is your booth design, whether it's a roller banner or wall panels. Your booth's visual design says so much about your business' professionalism and identity before you've even said a single word, so make that first impression count

4. Break the ice early: if you're an introvert like us, it can be hard to approach strangers and pitch your business. So try and break the ice early in the day, as you will realise that most attendees are genuinely curious about you and your business. This builds confidence, and before you know it, you'll be chatting away to complete strangers like you've known them for ages!

5. Follow up: this is where we completely agree with all expo experts. Make sure to follow up with an email or a phone call within a week. It is shocking how many exhibitors fail to contact leads after the event, which means all the money you've invested in actually advertising your business goes to complete waste. Take advantage of the fact that not every business follows up, and make sure you do!

Need trade show advice?

Getting ready for your first trade show exhibition but not sure where to start? We offer 1-hour meetings to go through your expo needs, offer advice and give our first-hand experience for £120. Get in touch today and settle those first-time exhibitor nerves with our friendly advice.